But it’s already January 4th, 2018, and I’m still closing out 2017. Honestly, it hasn’t hit me yet that 2018’s begun.

When January comes around, I alllwwwaaayyys want to reflect on the past year and start planning the new year. I research how to reflect, gather hundreds of questions from life experts, & could probably teach you too.

I’ve made the executive decision to focus on no more than three big 2018 goals. I don’t need goals in every single role and category of life.

And I’ve started reflecting.

One of the reflection questions I came upon asked me to:

List five great things that happened in 2017.

As a way to remind me of what made me happy and also how much I’ve grown as a human being, I’d like to share them with you.

I recognized I had made physical fitness a part of my lifestyle. I’ve led a sedentary life for most of my life. Working out = hard, unwanted pain. Then in my mid-20s, I discovered yoga. I took beginner classes. Challenging, but just enough to want to return. No expectations. Purely the need to feel good in my soul. And nearly a decade later, I recognize that working out has become a normal part of my life now - just like showering and eating. No questions asked. No second guessing. I just do it now. Yog yus tsis ua, yus lub cev yeej yuav hais yus.

I started my journey toward self love. In my teens, the start of my dating adventures, I first heard the saying, “You must love yourself first. If you don’t, how do you expect someone else to love you?” It’s taken me 15+ years to get it. This past year, I started to learn how to love myself - really liking the woman who looks at me every morning in the mirror, accepting my flaws, and focusing on staying in my own lane. I have a long way to go, but smiling at myself in the mirror isn’t so awkward anymore.

One of my favorite moments: Twin Falls before the twists and turns of Road to Hana.

I helped make Maui a reality for my family. This one was especially important to me this year. For many reasons, taking a family trip with working adults who all have their own lives is/can be nearly impossible. This trip *almost* didn’t happen, but with an extra push, we spent the holiday season there. Niam, seeing your adventurous spirit in the mountains, fruit farms, beaches, and markets of Maui made it all worth it. Kuv hlub koj os.

I paid for a huge meal for my family (& gave a speech). This may sound minuscule, but supporting my family in this way has been a looong time goal of mine. There are 10+ adults and two little kids in my family, and to be together in one room is a miracle all in itself. So to have my family with me and to confidently spend my earnings from my music career (a career that's been questioned by others) on them means a great deal to me.

I am a leader simply by doing what I love and being myself. A special thank you to Hmong Women Summit for the awakening.

From my sharing, I hope you're able to take a moment and make your own list. Do it. I imagine your happy center will light up just like mine.

Cheers to a very happy new year! May 2018 be an unforgettable one, dear.

YOUR TURN! What’s one great thing that happened in 2017 for you? What's one amazing thing you plan to repeat in 2018? As always, I enjoy hearing from you in the comments below!